The telecom industry is innately intertwined with technology and always will be. Technological advancements made the industry possible in the first place, and they continue to drive its evolution as a necessary pillar of the modern economy.
With such an intrinsic link to technology, it’s no surprise that the telecom industry is also one of the most open to innovation. This innovation is seemingly constant, with fiber-optics, 5G, and more all drastically changing the industry in recent years.
However, some tech is still underutilized by the industry, and AI chatbots are an excellent example of this. In this article, we explore some of the possible use cases for telecom companies to effectively make use of AI chatbots to streamline their operations.
What are chatbots for telecom?
All chatbots are similar in function, in that they converse with human users via a text-based format. Chatbots for telecom are essentially the same but designed to be used in the context of the telecom industry. For example, they may deal with telecom-specific inquiries, be linked with the internal IT systems of the telecom business, and so on.
Chatbots vary massively in their sophistication, with some of the most basic examples only able to respond to a limited number of simple queries. More advanced chatbots now incorporate AI, enabling them to be significantly more adaptable and understand a greater range of complex inputs. This enhanced functionality can make them far more useful to telecom companies, in a variety of ways.
Use cases for AI chatbots in the telecom industry
Increasing sales volumes
Increasing sales volumes is one of the simplest ways to maximize profits, so it’s an important part of the strategy of any telecom business. AI chatbots can provide companies with an easy way to boost sales by automatically upselling to more profitable services and cross-selling related services.
Importantly, this can be done in an adaptable and non-intrusive way, using an individual’s personal preferences to dictate which products and services are targeted at them. Additionally, the process can be completely automated, meaning there will be no increases in associated labor costs.
Preventing fraud
Fraud is a serious problem for telecom companies, and it is something that requires significant resources to combat. There are many types of fraud that telecom businesses need to deal with, such as people trying to steal customer data, but AI chatbots can help to detect attacks before they are successful.
For example, a chatbot could monitor incoming interactions for inconsistencies and common signs of fraud. The appropriate teams can then be automatically alerted to the potential problem and investigated further. This kind of system not only helps to reduce fraud but also cuts down the workloads of fraud prevention staff, saving businesses time and money.
Answering customer queries
The most simple, but arguably most useful deployment of chatbots for telecom companies is to answer customer queries. In the past, all customer queries were answered either by oversimplified FAQ sections or by physical employees, such as those in a call center.
Now, AI chatbots can provide another mode of communication for customers requiring support. Customers can instantly get in touch with the business at any time of day and through various mediums, including mobile devices. They can then receive answers to a wide range of questions, all without the need for employees to get involved.
Onboarding new customers
The onboarding process is a time-consuming but necessary part of the building, maintaining, and growing any telecom business. But just because it’s unavoidable, it doesn’t mean it can’t be made more efficient.
Telecom chatbots can provide an intuitive, automated way for customers to input their relevant details as part of the onboarding process. This can be beneficial to customers as it saves them time, and to the businesses themselves as it helps them to streamline onboarding and utilize the saved resources elsewhere.
Handling payments
Another crucial part of running any telecom business is handling payments. This does not only include taking payments but also managing payment details and more.
AI chatbots can be used to directly take payments, edit payment information, upgrade plans, and more, simplifying the whole payment process for both customers and businesses. Chatbots can also be integrated with telecom companies’ payment and accounting systems to automate the proper management of payment records.
Staying connected with customers
Staying connected with customers is important, but many telecom businesses struggle to do so effectively. Some don’t put in the appropriate effort, resulting in lower customer engagements. Others do put in the effort, but these efforts are inefficient and require a great deal of time and labor.
Another benefit of telecom chatbots is that they can be used to send automated and targeted alerts, reminders, and notifications to specific customers. This kind of direct and personalized contact can reduce wasted time, build and maintain strong customer relationships, and potentially lead to greater overall customer satisfaction.
How can Skil.AI benefit your telecom business?
At Skil.AI, we build customized AI telecom chatbots to automate and simplify key telecom operations. Our software, built with the latest in AI and machine learning technology, provides a flexible, intuitive, and powerful way for customers and telecom businesses to interact more efficiently.
Speak to our team today to learn more about our bespoke chatbots solutions and book a demo.